Watermark

“ Common sense will prevent the mistake which is still perpetrated of printing a half-tone block on a laid paper, or a paper with a heavy watermark. The laid lines and the watermark show up through the half-tone impression and spoil the picture. Half-tone work demands a perfectly smooth paper, coated or a good super-calendered paper being the best.
Very few papers are identical in finish on both sides of the sheet, and it should be the first thing taught to the apprentice that all one-sided work should be printed on the right side of the paper. ”

“ The name is derived from the use of a “fool’s cap” as a watermark. A German example of the watermark dating from 1479 was exhibited in the Caxton Exhibition (1877) . The New English Dictionary finds no trustworthy evidence for the introduction of the watermark by a German, Sir John Spielmann, at his paper-mill at Dartford in 1580, and states that there is no truth in the familiar story that the Rump Parliament substituted a fool’s cap for the royal arms as a watermark on the paper used for the journals of parliament. ”

“ By collecting in a thorough and scientific manner, the collector will so impress on his memory the general features of the majority of the world's issues, together with the details of the safeguards afforded by paper, watermark and perforation, that the first glimpse at a forgery or fake will reveal a something which at once rouses suspicion that the particular label is not the legitimate offspring of the Post Office. ”

“ In a folio book one of every pair of leaves should have a watermark in the middle of the paper. In a quarto some pairs of leaves will have no watermark; in others it will be found divided by the fold of the paper. As the great majority of books without printed signatures are in folio or quarto, the sequence of watermarked and un-watermarked leaves, if carefully worked out, will mostly reveal the “make-up” of the successive gatherings. ”

“ Some of the watermarks are very elaborate and interesting. A familiar illustration of a beautiful design of this [Pg 68] description is to be found in the Bank of England notes. As a general rule the ordinary watermark consists of a mere trade term such as “Vellum,” “Zenobia,” or of the name of the manufacturer, such as “J. Whatman,” “R. Batchelor,” and so on. In the earlier days of paper-making many highly interesting designs were used, and some of these are still extant. In fact many of the names by which certain standard sizes of paper are known owe their origin to the watermarks employed. ”

“ The pressure from the wire device thins the pulp wherever it is touched, and so when dry the device shows lighter than the rest of the paper.
These marks should be called wire marks rather than watermarks, and the French word for them, “Filigranes,” is more correct than ours. The difference in tint between a watermark and the rest of the paper is so distinct that a photographic negative placed under one will render a capital photograph of it, far better than any drawing, but it needs a long exposure. ”

“ In making a selection of writing papers, unless one is a very large consumer, a safe course for the better classes is to make a selection of watermarked papers. There is no virtue in a watermark as such, but the wholesale stationer is able to keep known papers up to standard, and also is able to meet all reasonable demands from stock. The prevailing sizes for writing papers are foolscap, post, large post, double foolscap ”

“ The London Society in the North American Colonies of Great Britain says: "Some of the stamps on wove paper have been catalogued with a watermark, consisting of various letters. It is probable that these letters are portions of the name of the papermaker, which most likely exists in the margin of the sheets." Other writers are equally superficial. The Catalogue for Advanced Collectors says: "Although we catalogue as varieties the stamps on [Pg 113] watermarked paper, it is very possible that these form a separate issue. ”

“ His plan was [Pg 55] to buy a whole sheet of low-priced unused stamps, to remove all the printing by chemical means, and then to print on the blank paper so obtained a complete sheet of high-priced stamps. Of course, he had to select his paper and his stamps with care, but this was a matter simple enough. It is interesting to point out that the home authorities, seeing the possibility of such practices, have made it a rule to use one watermark for adhesives of low value and another for those of high value. ”

“ In addition the stamps have been found with the watermark reversed, indicating that occasionally a sheet has been fed into the press the wrong side up. Inverted watermarks of this Crown and C.C. type are also to be found.
Of this issue, which comprises the same two values—4d. brown and 6d. blue, imperforate—we get the following variations in the watermark—
The gum shews the same variation—white and yellow—as in the original issue. ”

“ The subject of watermarks in paper is an inquiry alike useful and curious, since it assists in elucidating the history of paper-making, and the mark of the manufacturer has often been found of use in detecting literary forgeries, and frauds in the falsification of accounts. ”

“ Watermarks are already of considerable value to Bibliographers, and it is likely that in the near future they will be much more noticed, especially in English books. Many frauds have already been detected by reason of the watermarks, as it is a point that faussaires have so far paid little attention to. ”

“ Some display a copyright notice near an image or in a footer. Others use watermarks on digital assets. 99 publish assets on Art UK. 35 GLAMs publish open assets. The platform spread is more diverse, including their own website, Flickr Commons, Sketchfab, Art UK, Europeana, and Wikimedia Commons. Many publish on more than one platform. ”

“ This examination of the picture must be done in a dark room, and only one side of the printing frame should be opened, so that the print does not shift. If it is over-printed, the picture develops badly, the lines become broader, the details disappear in the deep shadows, and the ink adheres to the unexposed parts. If, on the contrary, it is under-printed, the ink does not adhere well to the exposed places, and washes off in developing from the fine parts. Practice, as with all manipulations, is necessary, and therefore one must not be disheartened by the first failure. ”

“ The trouble there is that the author of that section supposed that the lithographic process was the only other process of producing a book besides printing it from type or a streotyped plate. Now, the lithographic process is not the only process. There are modern processes of photomechanical printing that have nothing at all to do with lithography, that are much cheaper than lithography, and that do all that lithography does. As an illustration, those beautiful illustrated supplements that come out every week with the New York Tribune on Sunday are supposed by some gentlemen to be lithographs. ”

“ It is foreign to our experience, and does violence to our ideals. We actually see no such automatons as photography shows us men in action are, and we can never accept such disillusionment. If it is attempted in the name of art we will turn upon art and throw it out of our lives.
It is the irredeemable fault of some processes employed in printing that they are too scientifically accurate. This is the legitimate argument against the halftone plate as contrasted with the line engraving or the reproductions of pen-and-ink work, etc. ”

“ At this juncture, photography, particularly in its form of photo-zincography, steps in, and offers the means of doing for the amateur of ancient and curious literature, for maps and MSS., precisely what the printing-press does for the great body of readers. All we need is that the obstacles which still render this process expensive, except when applied to objects in great demand, should be removed, that the scholar should be enabled to procure a cheap photographic reproduction as easily as the general reader can obtain a cheap book. ”

“ Photographs are valuable in themselves, and the negatives serve for subsequent enlargements. They are unquestionably accurate, and the labour of making them being mechanical, may be delegated. If the print be in printer’s ink on white paper, the process is straightforward, first of obtaining a negative and afterwards photo-prints from it. The importance of the paper or card used to receive the finger print being quite white, has already been pointed out. An imprint on white crockery-ware is beautifully clear. Some of the photographs may be advantageously printed by the ferro-prussiate process. ”

“ It must be borne in mind that the first print from the skin will not be the best it is capable of giving, therefore, before any of the above-named dodges are resorted to, the image should be inked up and proofs pulled four or five times; as a generul rule perfection will not be attained until about ten or twelve prints are made, using each time a good paper, as a soft spongy one will not pick up the ink on the skin. ”

“ It is true that combination printing—allowing, as it does, much greater liberty to the photographer, and much greater facilities for representing the truth of nature—also admits, from these very facts, of a wide latitude for abuse; but the photographer must accept the conditions at his own peril. If he finds that he is not sufficiently advanced in knowledge of art, and has not sufficient reverence for nature, to allow him to make use of these liberties, let him put on his fetters again, and confine himself to one plate. ”

“ Some of the principles of art have a fundamental relation to printing, while some have an influence upon it so illusive as to defy definition, and compel us to look upon the connection as something no more substantial than feeling. Indeed, the whole matter of the application of art principles to printing may not unfairly be considered to be one of feeling; involving the saturation of the printer with the rules and tenets of art and the adding thereto of a fine discrimination tempered by a resolute philistinism, and then the play of his cultivated individuality upon the typography. ”

“ The photogram is to be fixed and washed, toning being unnecessary; when dry it can be drawn upon with a "fixed" or indelible black ink, carefully putting in just what parts are needed and disregarding the rest of the picture. As soon as the ink is dry, the print is immersed in a bath of mercury bichlorate and alcohol, when the photogram will gradually disappear, leaving the black ink lines on plain white paper. Nothing more is required beyond mounting on card to fit it for reproduction. Of course corrections can be made and stains, &c., be removed with Chinese white. ”

“ The application of lithography for purposes of coloured printing or chromo-lithography in the last fifteen years, has done much to awaken the attention of the artist and the lovers of art to the treasures mouldering in our libraries and museums; by its aid we have been enabled to obtain copies and specimens of illuminated printing, almost perfect facsimiles of the originals. It has stimulated the artist to pursue a new track for his operations; it has infused a corresponding taste in the public mind for ornamental improvement, which has manifested itself in every branch of manufacture. ”

“ Indeed, the photograph, with all its allied discoveries and its application to the service of the printing press, may be said to be as important a discovery in its effects on art and books as was the discovery of printing itself. It has already largely transformed the system of the production of illustrations and designs for books, magazines, and newspapers, and has certainly been the means of securing to the artist the advantage of possession of his original, while its fidelity, in the best processes, is, of course, very valuable. ”

“ The commonest form of print is on paper, although the most satisfactory print from the photographic standpoint is the transparency on glass or celluloid film.
Transparencies.—Transparencies are made by the regular photographic processes of exposure and development, on glass plates or films placed in contact with the negative, or in the appropriate position in an enlarging camera. The sensitometry and the terms used to describe the qualities of plate or film for this purpose are those already given in connection with the general discussion of plates and films. ”

“ The method of stamping each photograph with the photographer’s name is not less to be deprecated. For the industrial photographer some simple but artistic lettering should be chosen, and it should be printed small in one corner in Indian ink, which harmonizes with the grey of platinotypes. Any good die-cutter could supply an artistic stamp, and the charge, even if a little greater than usual, could not be very great. Or the photographer might cut out his name artistically in the gelatine film, but we recommend the former plan. ”

“ To reproduce an old chalk drawing so that it might be successfully transferred to stone and printed in the usual way, would be practically impossible by any other process. In copying through a ruled screen many of the delicate contrasts of light and shade would be so reduced as to become almost valueless, consequently the print loses both in artistic and expressive power. In contradistinction to this a natural grain exhibits no harshness or indistinctness in the gradations of tone, and retains its clearness and sharpness throughout the printing operation. ”